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2018/01/30

Fake Journalists vs. EVS

DC Comics artist Ethan Van Sciver is no stranger to controversy. As one of the few openly conservative professionals working in a heavily converged industry, he's attracted the ire of the SJW mob before.

ASHER ELBEIN: Hey, Ethan. There's quite a few allegations going around about bullying and abuse coming from your quarter, and there have been for a while. I wanted to reach out and let you know that I was working on a piece on the subject, and to give you a chance to respond.

I'll be honest. I don't like a lot of what I've seen. But I'm genuinely interested in what you have to say, and I'm open to being convinced.

ETHAN VAN SCIVER: What have you seen that's concerned you, Asher?

AE: Sorry! Want to give you my full attention, but I'm on deadline for another piece. Can we set up a time for a formal interview sometime in the next few weeks?

EVS: Probably not. Ask questions here, I'll answer them. I'd like you to begin by finding this "harassment" of Mr. Ayo. He's been calling me a Nazi for six months, I asked him to discuss it and work it out with me. [H]e got very angry. I backed off and blocked him. This is being used to attack me, and I am surprised you can't see that.

On and on into infinity. Now: I've never met this fellow. This might be something we can work out, let him see my humanity; explain myself. I hoped that would be the case. I was surprised to see him turn it around me as some kind of campaign by me to harass HIM.

At that point, Elbein blocked Van Sciver from sending him further Twitter DMs.

Note Elbein's opening. It's taken nearly verbatim from the list of ploys exposed by Vox Day that journalists use to coax statements out of their intended hit piece victims: "We're running this story anyway, but I'm reaching out to let you tell your side."

It's always a con. The aim isn't to give you a fair hearing. It's to get you talking so the reporter has material to mine for gotcha pull quotes. Ethan's desire to clear up the misunderstanding and try to humanize his opponents' view of him is understandable, but Elbein never intended to give him that chance, as evidenced by the fact that he blocked his subject. Van Sciver was wise to refuse the offer.

But that wasn't the end of it. After Elbein blocked EVS and all of his followers, the intrepid reporter attempted to crowdsource a witch hunt.

Another journalist weighs in to dispense some DARVO tactics. Hint to Dallin: Ethan's not the one asking his Twitter followers to dig up dirt on a professional he approached for an interview in bad faith.

It cant' be stressed enough: Not talking to the press is a smart move.

We're not done yet. Here's the twist ending:

That's the Editor in Chief of The Atlantic disavowing Asher Elbein. Were Elbein and Shiach LARPing, or is Goldberg running damage control? You decide!

Whether or not you approve of his opinions, Ethan Van Sciver has repeatedly and consistently upheld his dedication to entertaining readers by opposing the kind of insufferable message fic that nearly killed print SF and threatens to kill comics. It's a stance I wholeheartedly share.

"Were Elbein and Shiach LARPing, or is Goldberg running damage control? You decide!"

Regardless, all of them are destroying the middle ground where Moderates can hide out. EVS is right to attack without mercy--he *has* to in order to survive the swarm. EVS will have to choose a side in this battle sooner or later -- might as well be sooner.

These cowardly SJW shills are hammering the nails into their own gibbets. Sad, but darkly humorous at the same time.

"ASHER ELBEIN: Hey, Ethan. There's quite a few allegations going around about bullying and abuse coming from your quarter, and there have been for a while. I wanted to reach out and let you know that I was working on a piece on the subject, and to give you a chance to respond.I'll be honest. I don't like a lot of what I've seen. But I'm genuinely interested in what you have to say, and I'm open to being convinced."

Uh, wow. I'm not a reporter but I do work in journalism (editing mostly) and I can't imagine reaching out to a source with something like that. "I hate you but I'm writing this story and figured maybe I ought to ask just in case you have something interesting to say?" WTF is that? Too damn many of these activists pretending to be journalists...

Elbein's mistake was not stopping after that first paragraph. To play the gotcha game right, you need to shock the source by intimating that a piece about him is forthcoming, and so far only his detractors are talking. Then you ease the tension with an offer to let him tell his side of the story and lull him into a false sense of security by alluding to your impartiality.

The fact that Elbein lost the script is why his editor threw him under the bus.

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